LOOTSPLOSION
by AuraofDawn
Summary: The blood of the Piston coward spilled, a dark lavender mist spews from a grate in the center of the arena—a grate none of them really noticed before. But now they only need to glance down to see the telltale symbol. In the center of the crater, surrounded by the blood of many cowards and badasses alike, the vault opens only for them. (Maya-centric drabble)


"Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for the Vault Hunters!"

The crowd noise swells to a deafening roar, as if the ringing of Piston's over-powered turrets weren't already filling their ears. Moxxi's proud announcement is echoed by Torgue as the six victors shakily rise from their scraped knees, reloading and putting their armaments down. It all finally sinks in when a cloud of money and weapons literally rain from the ceiling. And there they are, wandering around a giant crater taken over by the galaxy's loudest company for the sake of a reality show, starring all six of them.

It takes exactly two nanoseconds for them to spring into action like oversized children on Mercenary Day; injuries be damned. Another thirty pass before a loud, childish whine laments to lack of a legendary drop.

Yet as soon as every dollar and gun and eridium hunk is claimed, the screeching of a microphone being snatched brings them out of their haze.

"THE VAULT'S OPENING! IT'S TIME FOR A LOOOOOOTSPLOOOSION!"

The blood of the Piston coward spilled, a dark lavender mist spews from a grate in the center of the arena—a grate none of them really noticed before. But now they only need to glance down to see the telltale symbol. In the center of the crater, surrounded by the blood of many cowards and badasses alike, the vault opens only for them.

"HOLY FUCKSHIT!"

For once, Torgue isn't exaggerating by a bit.

A pregnant pause fills the air and they're caught in a moment of awe, standing on the grate looking down like tourists when a bouncing betty springs off Gaige's foot like a pebble. Zero and Axton abruptly carry-push her out of danger before she can add another metal limb to her collection. Salvador even looks a little sheepish when stabbed by accusatory glares. The Truxican shrugs.

When the grate is little more than a circle of melted steel, Maya leaps through the clearing smoke and lands gracefully on the door. The "opening" they'd just witnessed looked to be little more than the revelation of a seam in the ancient stone, in the shape of a vault symbol. It still looked, for all intents and purposes, closed.

Salvador mumbles something sounding vaguely like his mother tongue. Zero elbows him with the hilt of a glowing, blood-stained katana. A loud whine echoes down to Maya's ears that was definitely too deep to have come from the likes of Gaige.

The Siren's eyes squint in the lower light and she stares the door down for a moment. She knows its real—the siren part of her just knows! Or could her want of that knowledge be willing the feeling? It could be both, right?! Honestly, she just felt too anxious to tell.

A deep breath rushes in through her nostrils and out her lips. As much as she disdained thoughts of her mediation regimen on Athenas, it was no doubt an effective practice. One that was useless on Pandora's badlands, yes, but off it, more than valuable.

So many thoughts rush through her clearing mind that excitement is the only thing she can comprehend feeling. The archaeology books from the abbey; Brother Sophis' last words from the innards of her phaselock; Tannis' ECHOs about the eridium-siren connection; Angel's own words to Jack about their surveillance…

She doesn't seem to have any connection with eridium whatsoever—

We'll see about that.

Slowly, hesitantly, Maya lays a hand on the vault symbol and feels.

Nothing at first, and then, everything.

Her comrades above see nothing but their resident siren alone in a dim pit until a wave of bright magenta leaps out and blinds them.

"MY EYEEEE," Krieg's voice simultaneously brings them all back to reality.

When their arms hesitantly lower from their eyes they see a specter. What could only be a ghost; the dead come back to haunt the living, lest the living be in the midst of an extremely intricate prank.

(and knowing Torgue, that was entirely possible)

But then there's just Maya.

Translucent violet wings and all.

She rises at the cusp of magenta and violet-tinted light until it fades and leaves her afloat above them. Her tattoos glow in a darker color than normal, and her phaselock is notably absent. In a way, it almost looks like she's phaselocking herself, the way she's hovering. As the light fades and she fixes her gaze, it's clear she hadn't been conscious for all of it. But then her hair falls out of her eyes and a deep grey stare greets all of them with the same playful sentiment:

"Sup?"

* * *

A/N: I was super disappointed in the lack of vault-opening at the end of Torgue's campaign—how does a guy yell lootsplosion when there's no loot to be seen? I DIDN'T CAMP AND SNIPE PISTON FOR HALF AN HOUR FOR THAT. Also, my self-fulfilling fantasies about Maya learning about sirens and getting her wings were just begging to see the light of day, so, this is the result of all these things.


End file.
